ABOUT US
Celsius is a London based company specialising in the international distribution and financing of independent feature films. Having previously traded as Entco Ltd, the company was re-launched in November 2004 at the American Film Market as Celsius Entertainment Ltd.
Since then, Celsius has sold, marketed and distributed a number of high profile films including Vincent Ward’s RIVER QUEEN starring Kiefer Sutherland and Samantha Morton, Gilles Mackinnon’s TARA ROAD starring Andie MacDowell, the animated film THE NUTCRACKER & THE MOUSEKING, and most recently PARIS, JE T’AIME, from the producer of AMELIE, and which Celsius helped co-finance. The film is unique- directed by no fewer than 20 great directors, including the Coen Brothers, Wes Craven, Gus Van Sant, Walter Salles and Alexander Payne. The film is currently on release in most countries.
Celsius recently released the time travel fantasy CRUSADE: A MARCH THROUGH TIME starring Emily Watson, from director Ben Sombogaart (whose 2003 TWIN SISTERS was nominated for an Oscar) and Sundance documentary double winner MANDA BALA (SEND A BULLET), a riveting and at times shocking look at the world of kidnapping in Brazil. Forthcoming films include VIVALDI, starring Joseph Fiennes as the famous composer, and his early years as a young priest who was made musical director of an orphanage in Venice and against all odds turned orphaned girls of all ages into accomplished musicians.
Also coming up is the documentary FREAKONOMICS, a daring and unorthodox look at the way economics underpins the new world order, directed by the world’s best known documentary filmmakers (including 2008 Oscar winner Alex Gibney and Morgan Spurlock) and based on a 4m worldwide bestselling book. The inventive supernatural teen thriller FROM WITHIN is Celsius’ newest acquisition. Directed by celebrated Director of Photography Phedon Papamichael and featuring Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and the ever arresting Adam Goldberg, this tense and atmospheric picture is set in an American town in which a spate of suicides threatens to desolate the entire population.
Celsius is a private company, wholly-owned and managed by Thierry Wase-Bailey. A veteran of international film sales and distribution, Thierry was previously the Managing Director/ Head of Sales and shareholder at HanWay Films, which he co-founded in 1999 with producer Jeremy Thomas.
Thierry WASE-BAILEY Managing Director & Head of Sales
Thierry Wase-Bailey has over 20 years experience in the international film sales and licensing business. Having started at Rank Film Distributors, he worked for World Film Alliance and Goldcrest Films before joining Majestic Films & Television as Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Acquisitions. He then launched a consultancy in 1998 called Entco Ltd. where he helped to secure finance for, and sold, several films including THE INTRUDER (starring John Hannah and Nastassja Kinski), and the animated feature MILLIONAIRE DOGS. The company later suspended its activities whilst he co-founded and ran HanWay Films. Following his departure from the company in December 2003 Thierry returned to Entco which he re-launched as Celsius Entertainment late 2004.An Anglo-French citizen, Thierry was educated at the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle in London and the University of London where he obtained his Degree (with honors) in Chemistry with Management.
Henriette WOLLMANN [Rechtsanwaeltin Germany & LLM Entertainment Law, London] Head of European Co-productions, Legal and Business Affairs
Henriette Wollmann is a seasoned entertainment and media law attorney with over 10 years experience specializing in film financing, contractual negotiation, copyright and trademark issues, licensing, and production legal work. She has represented and worked for numerous organizations ranging from producers, directors, and writers to independent production companies, distributors, and international sales e.g. Trickompany Filmproduktion, IGEL Media AG, ottfilm, and Celsius Entertainment. Henriette practices law in both Germany and England. She is also co-founder and board member of Women in Film and Television Germany (www.WIFTG.org), Women in Film and Television Europe (www.WIFT-EUROPE.com) and Mediation in the Media, Music & in the Arts (www.MiMMA.de).
Mario CERNA Marketing Assistant
Mario Cerna moved to London after completing a degree in Communications and Audiovisual Media at the prestigious Tecnologico de Monterrey in his native Mexico City. He started his career in Europe collaborating with the BritDoc and Discovering Latin America film festivals in 2006. As one of the DLA FF’s key officers, Mario acted as a liaison between the exhibitor venues, distributors and the film festival directors. Before joining Celsius Entertainment, Mario worked with Blue Star Movies as a Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator, acting as this international company’s main point of contact in London.
Maora LECOANET Sales Assistant
sales@celsiusentertainment.com
Julia WENZEL Acquisitions & Research Assistant
trainee@celsiusentertainment.com
Lissa LEBEL Market Consultant
marketconsultant@celsiusentertainment.com
Geoffrey BRESNICK USA Consultant
consultusa@celsiusentertainment.com
Geoffrey Bresnick has spent his whole working life in the motion picture industry. He has occupied roles in both production and distribution where he has worked in acquisitions, development and marketing. He began his career in distribution at the prototypical Audio Film Center, Inc – one of the first independent motion picture distributors in the United States and the first to begin acquiring rights to innovative independent shorts and features from around the world. These included the works of Luis Bunuel, Agnes Varda, Andrei Tarkovsky, Mashahiro Shinoda and the Maysles. Now those very films comprise the majority of the prestigious Criterion Collection’s catalogue. When the company was sold, he spent several years in Europe as the head of development at Film Alpha and MdV Productions, both Rome based, working on such films as MUSSOLINI AND I starring Susan Sarandon, Michelangelo Antonioni’s THE CREW, and DEADLY SUMMER. He also occupied the same position at Fake Estate in Paris.
Past members of staff
Alfred Chubb [class of 2004-6] now represents Paramount Pictures’ European digital rights
Tim Grohne [class of 2004-7] is now VP International Sales at IM Global
James Brown [class of 2006-7] is now Head of Acquisitions at Metrodome
Calum Gray [class of 2008-9] is now an Acquisitions and Development Executive at Mercury Media International
